Karnataka: Stage is set, curtains fall on the election campaign

May 10, 2018

On March 27, the apex election body of the country Election Commission of India announced the dates of the highly anticipated Karnataka State Assembly, as the Model Code of Conduct was implemented throughout the state. During the last one and a half month, Karnataka has witnessed it all, as political slugfest between BJP-Congress-JD(S) continued with much vigour. The period saw political leaders battling out against each other in the extreme weather across the length and breadth of Karnataka, addressing rallies and roadshows amongst thousands of supporters.

This election is of utmost importance to the incumbent Congress as they look to retain the Southern state, while the party is looking to revive itself from the electoral slump as it gears up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is confident after sweeping the North-east with the gust of BJP wave, but however, due to lack of senior state leaders and the recent controversies surrounding the party has certainly left it in a state of limbo, as the party looks to reclaim the ascendancy to the throne of Karnataka. The former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s JD(S) remains confident that electoral mandate of Karnataka people will swing the tide in favor of the party, as the party looks to shed its image of a “King-maker”.

Today marks the last day of this enthralling election campaigning, spectators from all over the country are following the nits and grits of Karnataka elections, as the stage is set for the most fiercely contested political battle of the year. In a last ditch effort, political parties are ensuring that they have covered each and every region of the state, BJP has called in some of the top leaders, ministers and Chief Ministers to campaign extensively in 150 constituencies. Congress, on the other hand, has organised press conferences in several areas, while some of the top leaders are sweating it out on the ground as they look to wind up their last leg of election campaigning.

According to several pollsters, the three-way contest between BJP-Congress-JD(S) is set to go to the wire, as none of the parties look to reach anywhere near the halfway mark of 113 in an assembly of 224+1 MLAs. None of the three major contestants would prefer the situation of a hung assembly due to the fractured mandate, as history beckons for another coalition government, and the last time it happened, it failed miserably. All the three major parties in Karnataka remain confident of securing a favourable mandate and forming the next government.

The Karnataka election campaigning has been full of adrenaline rush with exciting events taking place, from politicians mocking each other to the seizure of nearly 10,000 voter ID cards just days before the election. In anticipation of who would be the last man standing, people have been glued to their television sets and newspapers following all the latest developments. With curtains drawing over the election campaign, can the last minute scrambling prove to be beneficial for the parties?